Carton-sealing apparatus



7 F. M. PETERS ET Al.

CARTON SEALING APPARATUS Filed Dec 16. 1920 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 0 y] 9' a nu mu 3 fly 3 av nu nu Pu C C C E NW MM m h 111 H l I I I IHHI HHIIII l l l l l l .vl MWx mm N l QN w 1 q n Dec. 25, 1923. 1,478,836

F. M. PETERS ET AL CARTON SEALING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 16. 1920 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 13 7141/11, M, W wimw F. M. PETERS ET AL CARTON SEALING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 16 1920 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 1512767222 f anaff 2f. 7%?"7'671 flzgye I M m wmmwmmw Dec. 25 ,1923.

" F. M. PETERS ET AL.

CARTON SEALING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 1 .1920 -5 sheets-Sheet s I 1720672271? flan/1 f J1 E2575; WZzrrerz 155E096?" 072 'Patented Dec. 25, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT caries- FRANK M. PETERS AND WARREN H. I HUNG-ERFORD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AS SIGNORS TO PETERS MACHINERY COMPANY,- OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

CARTON-SEALING APPARATUS.

Application filed December 16,-1920L" Serial No. 431,084.

To all whom it ww-g concern:

Be it known that we, FRANK M. Farms,

and WARREN H. HUNeERroRD, both citizens of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of IlllnOlS,

have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Carton-Sealing Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention has reference to the closing and sealing of cartons after they have been filled, by applying a coating of adhesive or paste -to a flap which is tucked inside the carton, 'and thereby caused to adhere to an adjacent wall, for the purpose of sealing the carton.

The sealing apparatus which we have shown and described herein is particularly.

adapted for use in connection with carton folding and tuckin machine, such as shown in Letters Patent 0. 860,764, issued to us July 27, 1907, and we have illustrated herein only sufficient arts of said carton machine, so that the app ication of our present invention thereto may be readily understood. It

is to be understood, however, that we do not limit our invention to the particular carton folding and tucking machine illustrated herein, as we contemplate using it in connection with any other machines to which it is capable of being applied.

The purpose of our invention is to permanently close a carton, after it is filled, in such a manner so that it is unnecessary to use a wrapper such as it is customary to employ for holding the package closed.

' The principal objects of our invention are to provide a carton with an improved fastening for holding the cover closed; to seal a carton, after it has been filled, in a 40 simple, economical and effective manner; to lock the carton cover in the closed position by securing a flap on the edge of the cover to the inside of a wall of the carton 5 to provide an apparatus for connecting a tuckedin cover flap to the wall of the carton so as to hold the carton closed; to apply a coating of paste or other adhesive to a flap which is subsequently tucked inside the carton against the inner side of the Walls thereof;

to applyjizthe adhesive during the operations of folding and closing the carton; to avoid accumulation of the paste or adhesive on the mechanism or parts which serve to effect the folding and tucking of the carton flaps; to effect a uniform application of paste or adhesive to the-carton flap; to provide a simple and inexpensive mechanism which may be employed as an attachment for a carton folding and tucking machine to seal a flap of the carton to a wall thereof and thereby securely close the carton; and in general to effect the final sealing of a care ton without the use of a wrapper 0r separate seal, and at the same time afford a neat and acceptable appearance to the finished package.

On the drawings- 0 Fig. l is a side view of the discharge end of a carton folding and tucking machine,

having our invention applied thereto;

F ig. 2, an enlarged side view of the mechanism for applying paste to the carton flap; Fig. 3, a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4, a sectional view on the line 44 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5, a sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6, a fragmentary view on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 7, a sectional view of the paste receptacle on the line 7-7 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 8, a detail view, partly in section, of

the connection for operating the paste roll.

Referring to the drawings- The reference numeral 1 indicates the main frame of the machine, which is supported on standards 2, and comprises a pair of guide chutes extending in parallel, spaced relation lengthwise of the machine, each of these chutes being composed of bottom plates 3 and plates 4: and 5 extending up wardly at each side of the bottom plate 3 so as to form achannel through which the cartons slide. While two guide chutes are shown in the machine, it is to be understood that this is merely a convenient and practical form in whichv to construct the machine and that one or more chutes may be emfecting the invention. Each of the bottom plates 3 has a groove 6 in the upper surface in which the upper length of an endless chain 7 travels, these chains being carried by sprockets 8 at each end of the machine and operated in any suitable manner to propel the cartons through the guide chutes, flights 9 being provided on the chains at properly spaced intervals, which project upwardly in the carton chute and engage the rear ends of the packages, to insure movement of the packages in the chute.

The receiving end of the carton folding machine and the devices for folding down the end flaps and forming the cover flap preparatory to tucking in, are not shown, nor is the mechanism for operating the sprockets 8, as these parts of the machine may be the same as shown in the Peters and Hungerford Patent No. 860,764, hereinbefore referred to, and our invention merely requires that the carton should be advanced to the cover guides and paste-applying mechanism in a form in which the cover is ready to be closed down and the edge flap thereof inserted inside the carton, this being the condition of the carton shown in Fig. 6. By referring to said figure, it will be observed that the side Wall 4 of the carton guide chute has a guard plate 10 projecting inwardly along the upper edge so as to overlie the top of the cartons and their contents as they are removed along the chute, and this plate serves to hold the previously folded end flaps of the carton down against the top of the carton contents. Another plate 15 is also secured to and extends along the upper edge of the side wall 4, so as to engage the outer edge of the cart-on cover 12, and hold same in a partially upraised position with the cover flap 14 resting against the outer face of the plate 15, and a companion plate 96, which is likewise secured along the top of the side Wall 4 extends upwardly along the outer surface of the plate 15 and is spaced sufficiently therefrom to receive the cover flap 14 therebetweenl An angular plate 11 which is secured to the upper edge of the othe r side wall 5 of the carton chute, serves to hold the carton covers 12 down in a partially closed position with the outer edge thereof engaged against the upper edge of the plate 15, and this plate 11 has a downturned flange 13 along the outer edge which extends downwardly a short distance along the outer surface of the plate 15 so as to hold the cover' flap 14 against the outer face of the plate 15, as the carton is carried along the chute.

Beyond the plates 11, 15 and 96, is an angular plate 16 which is secured to the upper edge of the wall 4 and butts against the ends of the plates 11, 15 and 96, so that the carton cover passes from under the plates 11 and 96 without change in position or form,-being drawn directly under the plate 16, which latter has a top flange 17 in the same plane as the plate 11 and o-ver lying the outer portion of the cover 12. The upright portion of the plate 16 extends over the cover flap 14 of the carton and is transversely arched throughout its length, as indicated at 19 so that the intermediate po-rtion of the carton flap 14, to which paste is applied, does not pass in contact with the under surface of the plate 16. The paste is applied to the flap 14 just before the latter passes under the plate 16, and to admit the paste roll into contact with the flap 14, the plate 16 is cut away at its forward end as indicated at 18 and the plate 96 correspondingly cut away at 95 to expose the upper surface of the flap 14 at this point, and the upstanding portion of the. plate 15 is continued under the cut away portions of the plates 16 and 96 to support the cover flap as the paste roll is applied thereto.

. Immediately beyond the plate 16 the side wall 4 is flared outwardly, as indicated at 20, and has an arcuate flange 21 extending upwardly therefrom, and there is a plate 22 pivoted at 23 to the chute Wall 5,,and normally held at an angular position with the outer edge adjacent the outer edge of the flange 21, so that, .as the carton is advanced along the guide chute, the partially closed cover 12 and cover flap 14 will pass under the plate 16. Mounted on the pivot 23, of each plate 22, is a lever 24 which has one arm arched overthe top of the plate 22 and connected therewith by a stem 25 which is pivoted at 26 to pivot lugs 27 on the top of the plate 22 and has the other end extending loosely. through an aperture in the outer end of the arm 24, a spring 28 being interposed between the pivot lugs 27 and the end of the arm and held under compression by a nut 29 ontheouter end of the stem 25. The other arm of the lever 24 is connected by a link 30 with a plate or bar 31 which is mounted to slide vertically in guide-ways 32 on the opposite faces of the walls 5, and this bar or plate 81 is forked at the lower end so as to straddle the shaft 33 which extends longitudinally under the machine and serves to operate the various mechanisms thereof. This shaft has. a cam disk 34 thereon with a cam groove 35 in the face thereof, which is engaged by a roller .moves the plate 31 downwardly and elevates the cover plates 22 so as to receive the package thereunder. After the package is moved under the. plate 22 the operation of flap 14 inside thefront wall of the carton.

In order to avoid accumulation of paste from the flap 14 on the flange 21, the latter has ribs 38 on. the inner face, against which the outer face of the flap 14 is engaged and by which it is directeddownwardlyi'in the proper manner to be tucked into the carton, said ribs 38 on the flange 21 being positioned, as indicated in Fig. 4,. so that the lower extremities thereof are at the inner edge of the upper portion of the front wall of the carton.

At each sideof the machine is a paste receptacle 39 which is inserted in another, receptacle 40 so as to provide a water-jacket around the paste receptacle. The receptacle 40 has a pipe 41 leading from the bottom thereof to a heater 42 and another pipe 43 leads from the heater intothe top of the receptacle 40 so as to circulate water from the heater 42 in the receptacle 40 for maintaining the paste or other. adhesive in proper condition. I I 1 Each paste receptacle 39 has bearings 44 at opposite sides thereof in which a shaft 45 'is journaled, and thisshaft has a paste roll46 fixed thereon and of suitable diameter to dip into the paste or adhesive in the re ceptacle 39. The side walls ofthe receptacles 39 are extended upwardly; at one end to provideelevated bearings 47 in which ashaft 48 is journaled which, likewise, carries a' paste roll 49 which bears continuously against the periphery of the roll 46 so as to vreceive acoating of paste from the latter. The inner ends of the shafts 45 are connected by a clutch member 50 with an intermediate shaft 51 which extends transversely of the machine and has a bevel-pinion 52 fixed thereon and meshing with the bevelgear 53 on a shaft 54 which is mounted in "bearings 55 between thecarton chutes and extends longitudinally of the machine. This shaft has a sprocket 56 thereon connected by a chain 57 with a sprocket 58 on the drive shaft33, so that the shafts 54, 51 and'45 are rotated continuously while the machine is in operation. In order t o'permit either paste mechanism to be readily thrown out of operation, we have provided the clutch connection 50 between the shafts 51 and/45,

'which connectioncomprises a sleeve which has a slot 59 engaging a pin 60 on the shaft 51, so that it is capable of movement axially of. the shaft and is compelled 'to rotatetherewith, and the opposite end' of this sleeve which telescopes the inner end of the shaft 45 has a notch'61in the end to engage-the pin 62 of the shaft 45 so as to connect the shafts 51 and 56 together. 1 Mounted atfthe'inner sideof each paste receptacle 39 is a bracket 63 which'has a stud extending longitudinally of themachine and carrying a rocker-arm 64 which has a paste roll 65* journaled at one end thereof and adapted to swing in the operation of said arm alternately-to a position in contact with the paste .roll 49, as shown in Fig. 3, and to a position wherein a portion of the periphery'projects into the notch 18 at the-end of the guide-plate 16 so as to roll against the flap 14 of the cartonas the latter is moved along the guide-chute. This paste roll 65 has a spur-gear 66 connected to rotate there- I with and adapted, when the paste roll 65 is elevated, to mesh with the spur-gear 67 on the inner end of the shaft 48 of the paste ro1l49, and this shaft 48 has a spur-gear 68"v 'Foroperating the rocker-arms 64 at the a proper time to bring the rolls 65 into contact with the'flaps 14 of the cartons as they aremoved along the uidefchute, a bar 70 is mounted between t e guide-chutes to reciprocate-vertically, and forked at its lower end so asto straddle the shaft 33 and provided with a spring 71 connected with a crom-bar 72 of the frame so as to normally hold the bar 70in the lowermost position. At the upper end of the bar a cross-arm 73 is secured thereto by bolts 74 engaging slots 7 5 in the bar 70 so as to permit vertical adjustment of .the cross-arm on the bar 70, and the outer ends of the'cross-arm 73 are forked, as in-' dicated at 76, to receive blocks 77 which are arranged to slide laterally to and from the bar 70. These blocks have apertures 78 to receive pivot pins 79 which'are clamped in slots 80 with which the inner ends of the arms 64 are provided, the intermediate por- 1 ti on of the vpins 79 being formed with a disk 81 which is clamped against one side of the slotted extremity of the arm 64 by a nut- 82 which is threaded on the pinand engages against the opposite side of the slotted extremity of the arm 64. I The bar 70 has a roller 83 adja-cent'the lower en which rides on; a cam 84 fixed on the shaft 33, said cam being formed with an elevated portion 85 which, at the proper time, raises the bar 70 against the tension.

of the spring 71 so as to rock-the arms 64 and move the rollers 65 downwardly to a position wherein the periphery of the rollerbearsagainst the outer surface of the flap 14 of the carton during the time that it is bei ng drawn from the guide-plates 11 and under the guide-plate 16. It will be observed by referring to Fig. 2-, that the guide-plate 15 extends just beyond the point at which the roller bears against the flap 14 so as to afford a backing for holding the flap 14. outwardly at this point against the paste-a plying roller. The tension of the spring 1 and the weight of the bar and parts connected therewith serve to hold the roller 65 in contact with the roller 49 in the elevated position, and the surface of the plate 15, as this would inv terfere with the freedom of movement of gears 66 and 67 in mesh with one another, and the adjustment of the cross-arm 73 on the upper end of the bar .40 and the adjustment of the pins 79 inthe slots 80 of the rocker-arms 64 permit the operation of the arms to be nicely regulated, so that the rollers 65 properly engages the flaps 14 of the carton in the lowermost position so as to insure the required coating of paste or adhesive being applied to the surface of ceive the requisite coating of paste and, furthermore, the operation of the bar 70 should be properly timed, with reference to'the rate oftravel of the carton through the guide-chute,' so as'to be lowered to engage the-carton flap 14 just as the forward end. of the fiaippasses the point of contact of the, paste-applying roll and-is elevated 'ust as the rear extremity oft-he flap passes eyond such point so as to avoid the pos-- sibilityof the paste being applied to the the flap 14'overthe surface of the plate.

To avoid an excessive 'quantity'of paste being applied to the paste roll 65 and to insure a uniform application of paste to the flap 14, we have provided a pair of guides 86'at opposite sides of the paste receptacle 39, within which the ends of a scraper 87 engage and are adapted to slide so that the scraper is movable to and from the periphery of,the paste roll 46'. 1 djusting rods 88 are connected to the opposite ends of the scraper 87 and project'outwardly 'through' apertures 89 in the wall of the paste receptacle 39 and each has a nut. 90

' threaded onto the end to regulate the proximity of the scraper 87 to the periphery of the paste-roll 46, a spring 91 being 1i n terposed between the wall of the paste receptacle and a fixed collar 92'on therod 88 I "for the purpose of holding the-scraper 87 outwardly from theperiphery of thepaste '1 the flap or covering In the operation of the machine a quantity of paste in maintained in the receptacle 39 so that the roller 46 dips therein and the clutches: 50 are positioned so as to connect the shafts 45 with the intermediate shaft 51, so that the paste rolls are operated continuously by the shaft 33. If the paste or adhesive used is of such nature that it is necessary to maintain it in a heated condition, the heater 42 is set in operation so as to circulate Water through the rece ta'cle 40 around the paste receptacle 39.

he cartons are fedinto-the machine and the necessary operations effected as they are advanced through the guide-chutes,

' so that as "the cartons reach the position just precedingthe point at which thepaste is applied, the cover 12 is partially closed down and passes-between the plates 11 and 15. As the carton reaches the point where the cover flap 14 begins to move past the point where the roll 65 may contact therewith the elevation 85 of the cam 84 engages the roller 83 and lifts the bar 70, thereby rocking the'arms 64, so that the paste rolls '65 are brought into contact with the outer surface of the flap 14 and rotate as the flap is drawn thereunder, thus applying a coat- I ing of paste along the outer face of the flap 14. Thecam elevation 85 is of such length that the aste roll 65 remains in contact Withthe ap 14 until the rear end" of the later is about ready to pass beyond the point of engagement of the roller with the flap, whereupon the cam roller 83 is released from the cam elevation 85 and allows the bar 70 to drop downwardly under the ten sion of the spring 71 and elevate the paste roll 65 to the position shown in wherein thefgear 66 meshes with the gear 67 and the paste roll 65 contacts with the paste roll 49 ,and receives a coating of paste therefrom preparatory-to the next succeeding operation of the paste-applying mechanism, i a

The carton, during the time'that the paste is ,being'applied to the flap 14, is' moved' along by the conveyor chains 7 under the angular plate 16 which holds thecover 12 in substantially the same position which it occupied as it emerged from engagement with the plates llnand 15, the arched portion 19 of the plate 16 permitting the pasted I surface of the flap to move freely under the guide 16' without displacing the paste on V the; inner surface of the plate 16 therewith, and the carton .co'ntinues' its movement beyond the guide-plate .16 and under the closing plate 22, which has just been raised-by the operation of the cam disk 34; Inasmuch as the carton flap 14 is flat and the ribs 38 on the flange 21, with whichithe closing plate 22 co-operates,.are curved, the upper and lower edges only of.

- the flap 14 engage the ribs 3 8, and the interis to be determined from .the appendedmediate portion is held away therefrom, so that the paste is not disturbed on the outer surface of the flap. The movement of the carton is interrupted when it reaches the position directly underneath the closing plate 22, and thereupon the cam '34 onthe shaft 33 elevates the bar 31 so as to operate the plates 22 to'press the carton covers 12 down and force the cover flaps 14 inside the front Wall of the car ton, as shown in Fig. 4', so that the pasted exterior of the flap 14 bearsagainst the inner-surface of the carton wall, the flare 20 of the side wall of the chute serving at the time of closing the carton to permit the upper portion of the package or carton to spread slightly, thereby facilitating the inserting of the flap l4 inside the carton." The cover plate 22 remains in the lowermost position as the carton is again moved forwardinto the discharge ends of the chute, which lat: ter is providedwith a top plate 93 or is otherwise constructedto hold the carton in closed position and allow the paste to set so as to seal the cover of closed position. i i 1 While we have shown and described our invention in a preferred form, We are aware that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the principles ofcthe invention, the scope ofwhich claims. i I -We claim as our invention: 1. In a carton sealingmachine, the combination of a carton chute, means for advancing cartons successively along the chute, guides for'holding the carton covers in an upraised position as the cartons are advanced through the chute, a paste receptacle adjacent the chute having a paste, roller for transferring paste from the receptacle to a flap on the edge of the carton cover asit' is moved along the chute in the upraise'd' osition an arcuate uide at one sideof the chute beyond the paste-applying mechahim adapted to beengaged by the cover flap, and a member extending over the chute adjacent the arcuate guide and adapted to be depressed as each carton is moved thereunder so as tofclosethe carton cover and move the cover flap downwardly along the arcuate guide and thereby insert the flap inside the carton against a side wall'there of,said' member being adapted to remain in the depressed position as the carton is moved therebeyond. j

2. In a, carton sealing machine, the combination of a paste-applying mechanism and a carton closing mechanism, a carton conveyor for advancing cartons successively past the paste-applying mechanism and the carton closing mechanism. so as to apply a coating of adhesive to a flap on the edge of the carton cover and thereafter move the the carton in the paste 'receptacleand a paste roller actuated to receive a coating of paste on the pe- I'iphery thereof and bear against the cover flap of'the carton as the latter is moved, therealongso as to apply a coating of paste to the outer surface of the flap.

4. In a carton sealing machine, the combination of a carton conveyor, a paste-applying mechanism adjacent the conveyor comprising a paste receptacle having a supply roller-and a paste-transferring roller with the paste suppl'y roller to a position to engage a flap on the edge of a carton cover as the carton is advanced by the con: i

veyor, and a closing mechanism to which the carton is, advanced by the conveyor after the.

paste is applied to the cover flap, said closing mechanism being actuated so as to move the carton cover to the closed position and insert the cover flap inside the carto'h.

shiftable from a position in engagement Y 5. In a carton sealing machine, the combination of a-carton conveyor, a carton clos-v mg mechanism ad acent the conveyor and.

a paste applying mechanism'jfor applying paste to' a flap on the edge of the carton cover before the carton is advanced to the carton closing mechanism, \said paste applying mechanismcpmprising a paste recep tacle' having a paste-transferring "roller movableto a position to receive a coating of paste from the paste receptacle andv to a position to apply a'coating of paste to the cover flap, mechanism for moving thetransferring roller alternately to the aforesaid positions, and adjusting mechanism for regulating the movement of the, transferring roller. t

6. In a carton sealing machine, the combination of a carton conveyor, a carton closing mechanism 1 adjacent the' conveyor adapted to move the carton cover to the closed position and tuck a flap on the edge of the coverinside the carton, a pasteapplying mechanism for applying paste to the carton flap before the carton is advanced to the closing mechanism, and guides along which the carton cover and flap are moved and bywhich. they are heldiina predetermined position as the paste is applied to. the cover flap. a f j 7. In a carton sealing machine, the combination of a carton conveyor,.mechanism adjacent theconveyor for moving the ear ton cover to the closed position and tuckhaving a Water jacket, a heater connected ing a flap on the edge of the cover inside with the Water jacket, and a paste roller the carton, and paste mechanism adjacent operable to transfer paste from the recepn) the conveyor and-adapted to apply paste tacle to "the cover flap of each carton as 5 tothe cover flap before the carton is adthe carton is advanced by the conveyor.

\anced to the closing'mechanism, said paste FRANK M. PETERS. mechanism comprising a, paste receptacle WARREN H. HUNGERFORD, 

